


Town Hero

by Falcolmreynolds



Series: Shadows over Sornieth [5]
Category: Flight Rising
Genre: Gen, LMAO, Shadows over Sornieth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-17 09:57:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 7,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21052505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Falcolmreynolds/pseuds/Falcolmreynolds





	1. Chapter 1

Day 641 since, Day 42687 in total

Two hours before Noon

Ambrose and Aini left today, heading down with all those other dragons to the caravan place. I hope they’ll be safe, it seemed like a really dangerous attack from what happened to Ember. And she’s the best warrior I know! I mean, right next to Aini. They’re both really good. In different ways. I mean… yeah.

Anyway, they’re gone. I’m the only one left in Greenstone. Not entirely, of course, I just mean of the three of us. I really respect and admire them. I hope I can protect this town like they want me to. I think it’ll be fine, because I’m here and then so is Cairngorm, and he’s a really good mage. I’ve seen some mages do magic before and while I haven’t seen Cairngorm do any big battle magic I think he’s probably one of the strongest ones I’ve seen. I’m hoping I can see him do some larger works. Uh, but also, I hope that doesn’t happen, because that would mean the town is under attack, and that would be not great.

They trust me to protect it. I won’t fail them!

The dragons here are doing a pretty good job of building up a defense. I don’t know if the town ever actually has been attacked directly? I think it has, but that was before we got here. It’s kind of large, so I can’t really tell where the damage would be. Also, that’s more of sort of Ainissesthai’s kind of thing, figuring stuff like that out.

If anything interesting happens, I will make sure to note it down.

* * *

Evening, two hours prior to sunset.

Some of the dragons came back. The saltwater one, and the metal one. And another. A little one, smelling like, um… 

Like dust, and blood, and a different kind of saltwater.

I want to know what she really smells like, I would like to, but she’s all covered up by the other smells.

They told me where she was and what had happened. The clouddancers, and the bodies. She’s got the markings. The death-markings. That means she knows what’s happened; but she doesn’t seem to. I think she’s forgotten about it, on purpose. You know how that can happen. The poor thing. Her name is Ichane, and she doesn’t actually know her last name. I think we can probably find her name if we find the records in the caravan wreckage.

The saltwater dragon was not talkative, but the metal one was. He told me what had happened, and gave me a rough description of the area. It sounds like there was an ambush specifically designed to attack Ember. I don’t like that. Why did they go after her? She’s just a guard dragon. She was just doing her job. And why did they take Eshkave?

I sent those two back to the group. Some others here are going to take care of Ichane.

I hope everything goes alright from here on out.


	2. Chapter 2

Day 642 since, Day 42688 in total

Three hours before noon

Quiet today. We reinforced the walls out by the south entrance, over where by they left. It’ll be strong enough to withstand most assaults by beastclan warriors.


	3. Chapter 3

Day 643 since, Day 42689 in total

Evening

Reinforced the lower southern edges, by the forest. It’s much stronger now.

A couple of scouts and caravan members went out to check over the scene of the attack today. They recovered some possessions, and the bodies of three of the dragons. The longnecks murdered them. I’m just glad they didn’t manage to hurt Ember more than they did. It’s heartbreaking that they_ killed_ people regardless. The little one didn’t see the bodies. She’s very quiet now. I think she might be remembering what happened.

I looked at the battle site. There was a secondary battle, which matches with what the two dragons who came back with Ichane told me. But it’s interesting. The first one, the attack, was clearly an ambush. That doesn’t happen very often. Raids aren’t planned like that. Raids are just… raids.

This one was different. They targeted Ember, and from the scorch marks, drove her backwards. She ended up running into a second team of longnecks that threw down a cover of stones and dust beforehand and crept up on her. They tried to net her, and succeeded, though she broke out. I think the little one’s parents tried to help defend her. It looks like only dragons who interfered with the kidnapping got hurt. They caged the sprite, Eshkave, and took her.

Ember was the only one really attacked. She was targeted, and removed from commission, and beaten down until they could get Eshkave. They just wanted her and nothing else. Why?

Maybe the rescue team will find out. I hope they do. I hope they’re alright.


	4. Chapter 4

Day 644 since, Day 42690 in total

Evening

Added fortifications by the cliffside. It’s kind of a strange area to defend, especially because it’s in the middle of the town.

They still need finishing. That’ll be tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

Day 645 since, Day 42691 in total

Evening

Finished up the cliffside fortifications. It took a little longer because of gravity. We fixed it though.

Need to build a particular guard for the canal.


	6. Chapter 6

  
Day 646 since, Day 42692 in total

Four hours after sunrise

I don’t know how to build a gate over the canal, so I’m consulting some of the dragons who are more familiar with that kind of thing. The dragons who work with the canal live nearby it mostly, over in the eastern portion of the town.

* * *

Evening

Planned out a gate for the canal. No way to keep things from swimming in, though, and they said they can’t put a net over the river or it’ll make problems for the ecosystem. That makes sense. We’ll just have to keep watch over there more often.

They’ll have a draft of the gate ready tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

Day 647 since, Day 42693 in total

Evening

The entire day was taken up by figuring out where to put the canal gate. The riverbank is too muddy to stick any posts, even with earth dragons making spaces of solid stone; the mud around them just skews everything out of place. It would take some kind of long-lasting magic to make that work. And the further away from the wall in general, the harder it is to actually build out to it, so we really only have a pretty small range of places to put it.

Maybe we’ll figure it out tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

Day 648 since, Day 42694 in total

One hour after noon

Finally found a good spot for the gate. It’s not too far out of the way of the wall; we’ll just have to extend it a little bit. That’s actually okay, because it makes room for any expansions of the town inside the wall. That’s good.

Starting construction on it today. The biggest gate support poles are going in a patch of clay on one side of the canal and a big rock on the other, so it should hold for a really long time. I think. I’m not an expert; I’m letting the river dragons do it. They’re the ones that know what’s going on.

It sure is a lot of effort, and I really do appreciate their expertise. I’ll lift and carry for them as much as I can.

We’ll be working on this for the next few days. A gate isn’t as simple as a wall.


	9. Chapter 9

Day 651 since, Day 42697 in total

Evening

Finally finished the gate.

There’s a wall along the north, and it’s getting fortified next. That’ll be tomorrow!


	10. Chapter 10

Day 652 since, Day 42698 in total

Evening

Started working on the northern wall. Northeastern portion is mostly done, north-central is started.


	11. Chapter 11

Day 653 since, Day 42699 in total

One hour before noon

Fortified the north-center wall this morning. One of the scouts came back from searching the nearby landscape - she’s a dragon from the Plateau, scouting is the thing she’s best at - and said there were some suspicious signs off to the northwest of beastclan activity. I mean the signs were of beastclans, not that the activity of them was off to the northwest. We’ll have to keep a lookout there and make sure nothing goes awry on the Dragonhome side of Greenstone.

* * *

Evening, at sunset

I sent Whirligig (the scout from before, she’s very friendly although she occasionally has memory blackouts? I’m not sure what that’s about but they don’t happen often enough for it to be a problem and she has never forgotten report information) out again to look for any more activity. There isn’t any; she didn’t spot any other signs out in the scrubland areas. I guess that means they moved on or left? I sure hope so. She didn’t see them nearer to Greenstone, anyway.

I trust her, but she wants to take a couple other scouts out to check the area over again. It’s getting too dark and we’re losing the light we’d need to search properly, so she’s going to do it at sunup tomorrow morning.


	12. Chapter 12

"Day 654 since, Day 42700 in total

Morning, three hours after sunrise

Whirligig returned with bad news: the beastclans are still around, they’re just better disguised than they have ever been. We have to make sure we’re ready for an attack. No specific fortifications today, just all-around strengthening of the town’s defenses. We -"

Bhyram was interrupted by the raucous clanging of a town bell. He looked up, stunned, then around. The bell was for emergencies; if it was being rung, then the town was under attack. There were no drills running today with the bell (not that they ran them anyway, it tended to make the residents panic).

Immediately he dropped his pencil and grabbed his sword, slinging it around his waist. In seconds he was out the door; he bounded through the inn. “Trouble outside!” SPICYLAD shouted as he ran by. “Go!”

That meant it was real. Bhyram nodded in response, but saved his breath, putting his head down and slamming his shoulder into the door rather than opening it normally. No time for subtlety, and it didn’t have a handle or anything anyway.

He came out into an open street that was beginning to erupt into chaos. He saw a couple of dragons scattering, and off to the northwest, a fire starting.  _ Damn it, _ he thought.  _ They  _ did _ come from there. _

But the disguised camps of the beastclans had been so well-hidden. Why would they just…

He paused, closing his eyes. He flicked his antennae forwards - there was more than just the scent of the longnecks in the northwest. No, there were other ones, with a particular heaviness to their smell - water. They were wet. There were, somewhere, longnecks in water, coming for Greenstone.

He blinked his eyes open. Cairngorm came galloping around the corner of a building and trotted to a halt in front of Bhyram, chest heaving. “That was unexpected,” he gasped, looking towards the northwest edge.

“Can you - uh, ahem. Keep the smoke from entering the city,” Bhyram instructed, mind racing. He hated to just order people around, but this wasn’t the time to politely request things. He had to run the defense and he had to do it right. “Take only one or two earth dragons over there to stop the fire from spreading, and - and some water dragon if you can find them to put it - to put the fire out. I need the other mages - um, the earth dragon mages.”

“Why?”

“They’re not attacking from just the north! They wouldn’t only do, only do that. Didn’t - didn’t you read the report on the caravan attack?”

“I skimmed it,” Cairngorm huffed, trying to regain his composure.

“They can ambush. If they know how to do that, they’ll do it again. They’ve - probably been watching us. They know what parts of the wall are down, um, what parts aren’t up to snuff. If you will.” Bhyram stumbled over his own words. “I think they’ll be heading in from different places too. Different angles, positions. I can smell them.”

“Oh. I suppose…?” Cairngorm looked a little perplexed. “You are certainly a -”

“Smoke,” Bhyram interrupted. “Go do the, um, the smoke. It’s causing panic.”

“Right.” Cairngorm stepped to the side, then started down the street in the weird, dainty skydancer run that they did. He spread his wings and took off, flapping upwards; already smoke was beginning to curl through the sky overhead, seeping into the town. It was morning; the wind was blowing down from the land towards the sea beyond the Verdant Edge.

Bhyram nodded and turned, racing into the town. Greenstone had a couple points of access aside from the main gates; there was a little artificially constructed canal that led out to the Living Sea, for one, and the tunnels that fed into the well in the center of town ran into a small network of natural caves. Nobody had bothered to map those caves; Bhyram was concerned about them. Those were potential points of entry if there were land entrances to them anywhere. And they just didn’t know if there were…

“Come with me!” he shouted to a couple of the fighters. “Earth mages, come on! Any fighters, come on!”

They followed him, a small brigade of dragons: a fae with brown wings that smelled like cardamom, a big silver imperial who smelled of wet wool, a surprisingly agile blueish snapper that smelled like tree sap, and a ridgeback with bright yellow spines who smelled like stale air. Bhyram skidded around corners, going as fast as he could.

True to his suspicions, by the time he reached the well, the cover had already been pushed off from the interior and the square was deserted. He glanced around, frantically, and spotted movement fast enough to draw his blade and parry the first strike of a spear-wielding longneck as it lunged at him. This one was taller, armored, and fast.

“Not so fast!” the snapper shouted, and slammed her tail square into the longneck. It stumbled backwards with a whuff of breath, and Bhyram beat it back with a few strikes of his sword, the impact of his blade on the spear-hilt too much for the longneck to handle. It eventually dropped the spear, and Bhyram had a clear shot to spear it clean through the torso, which he did.

The wet-wool imperial was already curled around, hissing, and as his eyes roved over the ground - and the bodies of several attacking enemies - a series of sharp crystals grew up in a wide crescent around the edge of the circle. The longnecks were either speared or thrown off balance; the ridgeback fluttered back, looking alarmed, but swept their wings forward and kicked up a cloud of dust and fine particles of stone that shot forwards towards the longnecks.

There were sounds in the well. “Cover me!” Bhyram shouted, and backed up to the well. He turned, propping his sword up on the side of it, and peered in. A few sets of eyes peered back at him, and he blinked. “Ah…”

“Allow me,” the fae said, landing next to him. She cocked her head to the side, and then the water in the bottom of the well surged upwards in a few rippling tendrils. It grabbed ahold of the longnecks and dragged them down. Bhyram saw them struggle a few times, but they were pushed under and held there by the fae’s magic. He swallowed and gently tapped on the rim of the well.

“Don’t kill them in the water,” Bhyram urged. “It’s not sanitary. For drinking. We can’t have bodies in it.”

“Oh, okay,” the fae said. She tilted her head back the other direction. “Move back.”

Bhyram did as instructed, and in moments, the big tendrils of water whipped up and out, flailing like tentacles. They held the longnecks, which they slammed downwards into the cobblestones of the area and left there like broken dolls. The water retreated.

“Earth magic, I need earth magic!” Bhyram called.

“I’m a little busy,” the imperial rumbled.

“Switch,” Bhyram said, and charged forwards, picking his sword back up. He ducked under a swipe of the Imperial’s tail. “Seal off the cavern entrances to the well,” he said. “ And if you can fill up some of the caves, do it! They’re in there.”

The imperial nodded, slithering backwards. “Give me a minute,” he said.

“Make it quick,” the snapper yelled, as she whipped around again and headbutted a longneck.

Bhyram gripped his sword and settled into a ready stance.  _ Parry, parry, riposte. Attack, pause. Feint, strike, hit. Bind, force, disarm. Strike, hit. _ He engaged one longneck after the next. The power behind his sword-strikes was enough to stun and numb enemies; he took care to flick their weapons away when he could, rendering them less dangerous. Then it was a simple matter of striking home, and done.

“Got it!” the imperial shouted back, after a long few moments of back-and-forth with a couple of longnecks. “Tunnels are sealed.”

The longnecks glanced up when he said that, and one of them dropped their sword and ran. Bhyram didn’t pursue that - the snapper was already on it - and instead turned towards the well. The big metal cover was still off. He laid his sword down, hooked his claws into the cover, and levered it up, hauling it back into place with a clang.

“That’s done,” he said, with a stiff exhale. “You stay here. All of you. Make sure they don’t get through again.”

“We’ll keep an eye on the area,” the imperial affirmed, dipping his head.

“You can count on us,” the ridgeback added. Their claws, previously also yellow, were now streaked with red, and they looked  _ quite _ pleased with themselves.

Bhyram turned and, grabbing his sword in one paw, took a few running steps, then spread his wings and took off. He didn’t fly  _ well _ \- tundra bodies weren’t particularly excellent at flight, and he’d had his for less time than most - but they did fly. That was what mattered. His blood pounded in his ears and his wings ached as he forced himself to fly as fast as he possibly could.

The battle at the northwestern corner of town was going… worse than he’d hoped, but not as bad as he’d feared. He could see Cairngorm in the thick of it now, wings spread wide, staff gripped in one outstretched front paw. The area around him was clear; he was encircled in a whirling vortex of wind that tossed any longneck that got too close up into the air. Bhyram angled down towards it. “Coming in!” he shouted, so nobody would accidentally skewer him, and then landed a little clumsily, sword raised, off to the right of the vortex, more towards the north. His blade glinted in the summer light as he brought it down, point outwards towards the nearest enemy.

He snapped his wings shut. “Your internal assault failed,” he shouted over the sound of the wind. “They’re gone. They’re dead. The well is sealed. This distraction has no point.”

As he’d hoped, some of the longnecks heard his voice, glanced towards the city, and decided that the best course of action was to run. He surged forwards and blocked one that tried to strike at a small pearlcatcher who’d been caught unawares; she yelped and ducked behind him, even though she was larger than him, and he flung the longneck’s blade away in a ringing arc. “Run,” he snarled at it, “or you’re gonna die.”

It took him seriously, and backed away, finally turning and fleeing.

From there, it was just cleaning up the remainder - some obstinate attackers refused to give up, and had to be killed. The rest gave up and disappeared back into the scrubland from whence they’d come.

Bhyram felt his heartbeat slow back to a normal rate over the course of the next few minutes. The walls hadn’t taken much damage, and aside from the one fire, the town was unharmed. There had been no serious injuries among the defending dragons, and they’d soundly routed their foes.

It was… a win, actually. Bhyram checked over those injured, then got out of the way while the healers arrived and started their work. “You know who to treat first,” he said, dipping his head to them as he moved back so they could enter the house the injured were waiting in. “I mean, as in, you know better than anyone else. Good luck. I think? Good luck.” He paused.

“Thanks,” one of the healers said, though they seemed a little perplexed. “I think.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah. ‘Kay.”

He returned to the tavern. Cairngorm was waiting out front, looking rather dusty but otherwise no worse for wear. “Hello,” the mage said, flicking his feather crests up. “It sounds like your little trip to the center of town went well.”

“They were in the well,” Bhyram said. “They got in there somehow. I mean, it was through the caves. But they got down in the caves and were coming up through the well. It was - it was kind of important that we stopped them.”  _ Little trip. _ That needled, just a bit. He sat down on the front porch-area of the inn, next to Cairngorm, out of the way of those passing by.

Cairngorm nodded. “And you sealed them off?”

“Yes.” Bhyram paused. “Well - yes, though, um - the magic, it wasn’t me, I’m not taking credit for that.It was… I don’t know his name. He smells like wool.”

Cairngorm stared.

“He’s an imperial, big, and silver.” Bhyram shrugged helplessly, antennae twitching. “I’m not very good with names…”

“Oh, I know who you’re talking about,” Cairngorm said, nodding. “Right. Anyone else?”

“Someone who smelled like sort of when you have air that’s -”

“I need colors and types, Bhyram,” Cairngorm said, patiently. “I can’t smell what you smell.”

“Right. A blue snapper. A… brown fae. A ridgeback who had very bright yellow spines.” 

Cairngorm sighed. “You don’t have any names at all?”

“No, I don’t get them…”

“That’s alright. Now that I think about it, they’ll likely boast of their actions later, and it should be fairly easy to figure out who they are.” Cairngorm paused, and sneezed. “By the Eleven, I got smoke in my throat and nose. Wretched.”

“The town’s safe,” Bhyram said, looking back out into the street. He began to groom his mane back into place.

Cairngorm yawned. “Indeed.”

“Why… did they attack us?” Bhyram paused, staring at the back of one paw. “I mean, I know we were fortifying the town just for that, but… I don’t understand. They - they know it’s a town large enough to, to defend itself, right?”

“Yes,” Cairngorm said.

“And they know that -” Bhyram paused, scrubbing his paw over the space between his horns. “They know that we are, um, dragons. And we, like… we have - there are a lot of us. Here. So attacking us isn’t really the best idea. They can’t win. They can hurt us, but they can’t… stop us from existing. Why are they doing this?”

“It’s probably for the stone,” Cairngorm said, with a shrug.

“The - oh, the green one?”

“That the town is named after, yes,” Cairngorm said. “It’s just part of a larger stone that fragmented in the atmosphere when it fell to earth quite some time ago. A sizeable chunk of it was found in the earth where the town was originally founded, and is kept in the town hall on display. Various beastclans or roaming nomads have encountered other pieces of the meteorite, and some of them want to… Well, to be honest, I’m not sure why they want it. To reunite the pieces with each other? To try and create a full stone? I don’t know how they expect that to work, the pieces were deformed by their descent to the surface of the world.”

“Oh.” Bhyram combed his claws through his mane.

“Regardless, they’re probably after that. Some have tried to steal it before. The strike back in retribution for the caravan attack has probably only fueled these flames.”

“I don’t like that,” Bhyram said clearly, frowning at the floorboards. “That sounds needlessly dangerous.”

“Oh, perhaps it is,” Cairngorm sighed, rubbing one paw along his nose, “but alas, that’s how things just happen to be.”

“I don’t like that. We should pursue peace.”

“Pursue protecting Greenstone first and foremost,” Cairngorm said firmly. “That’s why we called you here.”

“You called for help,” Bhyram retorted, “not - not just doing whatever we’re told. And I think that if we can make peace with them, then, well, that would be - that would be better than just having better defenses.”

“My friend, you are certainly welcome to try. And good luck to you.”

Bhyram subsided, settling down and folding his front paws underneath him.

Cairngorm stood, shaking dust off his robes and out of his feathers. He picked up his staff, and a wisp of greenish vapor seeped out and curled around the horns of his headdress. “I will speak with you later,” he said. “I’m off to check on the injured. Of which there were few.”

“They did a good job today,” Bhyram said softly.

“As did you, my friend. Excellent work.” Cairngorm dipped his head, feathers fanning out. “I would not have thought of the well, and wouldn’t have gone to it, and without you, the town would be full to the brim with soggy longnecks.”

“Oh - I -” Bhyram paused. “Thanks.”

Cairngorm nodded back. For a moment he looked as if he were going to say something; then he just turned and trotted out into the street, then down and out of sight.

Bhyram stayed there for a few minutes, watching dragons go by. They wandered on along without noticing him, and he observed them silently. His coloring hid him in the shadows remarkably well.

A mother spiral with three extraordinarily energetic hatchlings, a young guardian with a bogsneak shaded under his outstretched wing, an old snapper with a young nocturne riding on his back.

They were all safe. He took a breath, flicked his antennae back to clear his head of the smells, and went inside.

* * *

Noon

There was a small attack on the northwest wall, and a scuffle by the well. Some longnecks came in through the caves. An imperial sealed off the caves, so they can’t come in through there again. That should keep the town safe.

Cairngorm says they were likely here for the stone the town is named after. Apparently they’ve tried to steal it before. But now they’re more violent, because of the mess with the caravan.

I am kind of worried for the town. If they keep getting attacked, like today, what will happen? They did a good job of defending. Nobody was seriously hurt at all and there was only one little fire. But if nobody had noticed the ones in the well, how would that have gone?

I’ll have to find some way to find and fortify everything. And I wish maybe they just wouldn’t attack. If we could bargain with them, maybe that would help?

I don’t know, I’m not an expert. I don’t do diplomacy. That’s for Cairngorm and the mages, the dragons with knowledge training. That sort of thing. I’ll let them handle it.


	13. Chapter 13

Day 655 since, Day 42701 in total

Morning, two hours after sunrise

Cairngorm told me to rest today. I’m not really sure why. I’m headed out to the northwestern wall to help them build.

* * *

Evening

We’ve repaired all damage done to the northwestern wall; it wasn’t that much. It wasn’t that hard. The attack really didn’t do that much, thanks to the defenses.

The dragons here are very brave.


	14. Chapter 14

Day 656 since, Day 42702 in total

Evening

Worked on the western wall today and the gate there. It’s an old gate, it’s been around for a really long time. It just needs repaired really.

I was told when I got back to the inn that Cairngorm was looking for me. I was not found. I don’t know what he wanted from me, but I’m… not really interested in it. He, um, doesn’t really seem to care that much about what I do unless he wants me to do something else. I think. So I’m just going to not be around?

I can smell him coming. He smells like bamboo and charcoal and fraying rope. It’s pretty easy to get out of his way.


	15. Chapter 15

Day 657 since, Day 42703 in total

Afternoon, three hours after noon.

Fixed the gate! It’s all repaired. It opens much faster now, and is a little less likely to swing open suddenly when you’re trying to open it and smack someone. It’s also a little bit heavier, but that’s okay. It’s not on hinges anymore, it’s sort of uh… internally hinged, I guess? It’s a pillar inside circular columns.

It’s done, is the point. We’ll keep moving counter-clockwise around the town, working through the entire wall. We’re also taking stock of what places need more work after this too. That’ll be after the first pass of the walls is all done.

It didn’t take as long as I thought it might. I guess there’s just a lot of really enthusiastic help here.


	16. Chapter 16

Day 658 since, Day 42704 in total

Evening

Spent the majority of the day working on the wall. Avoided Cairngorm again.


	17. Chapter 17

Day 659 since, Day 42705 in total

Night, two hours past sunset

I might have, um, misunderstood why Cairngorm wanted to find me. I thought he was just going to needle me about something, or maybe say something that wasn’t as polite as it could be, but he actually just wanted to know my schedule. I don’t really have a schedule, so I just told him I’d be around if he needed me?

Anyway, it turns out he went and found the other dragons who were with me for the well thing. Then he had them tell everyone else about me. Um, something about me being a hero? I’m not a hero, I didn’t really do that much, so I’m a little bit confused, but… okay.

SPICYLAD made me a cake.


	18. Chapter 18

Day 660 since, Day 42706 in total

Evening

Back to work on the wall. Southwestern side is fortified. I hope the others are okay out there. We haven’t heard from them, but I was also kind of hoping they might be back by now? I hope they aren’t, you know, dead.

* * *

Night, unsure

I was woken up by a bunch of strange lights. I can see them now. They look like an aurora, but I’ve never seen one since I left the Icefield. I don’t understand where it came from or why it looks like this? The colors are beautiful, and so intense. Does this mean something?

Some of the mages in my old clan used to look to auroras to see omens, or prophecies, or even just predictions of the weather in the future. I never learned how. I wonder what they would say about this?

I wish there were other ice dragons here. Maybe one of them would know how to interpret the colors.

The aurora doesn’t seem to be ending. And it’s, um… not ending. Usually they’re slow lights that drift along. These ones are quicker. Much quicker. I don’t understand.

I could  _ try _ and look into them. I will.

* * *

Night, unsure, slightly later

I spent a little bit of time out there searching the lights for meaning. I remember how my clan used to interpret the colors and patterns. They said that the light originally came from the sun, and so it could never lie. The auroras were always true, if you managed to figure out what they said.

I don’t know about that. Elder Shaolin always did the readings. Not me. Never me. So I don’t… I don’t know what they mean. But I remember some of the patterns she said were things.

If I were right - and I really, really doubt I am, but I’m writing it down anyway on the off chance that I am for some reason - then I could see a few things in the lights. The ocean. The sky. Something about seeing? Fire. Failure. Not much else than that, I can’t keep track of the patterns.

I don’t know. That doesn’t make any sense. It’s probably just a weird aurora. I’ll ask Ambrose when she gets back; she’s really smart, she’ll know what happened. If she doesn’t, someone else will. This isn’t just here - I can see the lights stretching off to the horizon, and they’re so bright they illuminate the town. Other people can definitely see this. Someone will know what it means.

I don’t know why I said that. It doesn’t mean anything, it’s just lights. Someone will know what’s causing it.


	19. Chapter 19

It was almost exactly at dawn when Bhyram spotted figures at the end of the dusty road leading to Greenstone, coming around the rocky bend. He recognized them instantly - dragons. Dragons he knew. The rescuers were back!

“Open the gate,” he called down. “It’s them! They’ve come back!”

It was too early for there to be too many dragons out on the wall; the reception committee was small. But Bhyram realized by the time they were halfway to the gate that with them floated a brilliant, burning shape. The sprite!

He leaped down from the wall, landing safely on the ground. The big western gate swung open, and the fae who’d gone with them - the one who smelled like ozone and coffee under the haze of dust they all carried - was the first through. “Civilization,” she said, monotone, and buzzed off immediately towards the inn.  _ Fair enough. _

“Wait for me,” called the stately silvery skydancer, trotting after her. The air in his wake smelled of myrrh and candle wax, and the blue flames flicked past Bhyram’s nose, but didn’t burn him. He turned back to the gate.

Wonderful sweetspire-and-saffron-and-dust Ambrose was next, with that low-tide-seashore ridgeback next to her. She trotted in and let out a long breath.

Something wasn’t quite right. There was a newer smell to her; Bhyram’s antennae twitched. He leaned forward. Blood? Not quite. Flesh. The smell of exposed flesh. Was she wounded? No, then it would have smelled like scab. Something wasn’t quite right about her.

It was only when she turned her head and gazed at him that he blinked and realized the difference - the bright splash of red in her left eye. “Oh,” he said. “What happened?”

“It’s a very long story,” she said, sounding weary. Behind her, the skydancer who smelled almost entirely of sweat save a hint of some kind of bizarre spice bounded through the gate, energetic as always. He caught Bhyram’s glance and looked him over, nodded approvingly, and set off at a near-run through the streets.  _ Oh.. okay. Bye. _

“Where is she?” A hurried voice. The sprite. She fluttered forwards, hovering in the air in a blossom of flame. “Where is Ember?”

“Yes!” the bogsneak. She smelled like swamp water and slime, and, strangely, cookies? She made her way over, cheerful. “Let’s get you to her right now, right away.”

“Y-yeah, she’s this way,” Bhyram said, dipping his head. He turned and started to head through the town towards the inn; it wasn’t far. Halfway there, Cairngorm swept in and landed in a flurry of wind.

“You’re back!” he said, delighted. “What’s happened to your magic, Lady Ambrose? This looks like some kind of infusion.”

“It’s nice to see you too,” she sighed, in response. “I was - some things happened. We can talk about it later.”

“Sorry,” called the long-furred one, dark wood-colors, who smelled like freshly washed cloth being unfolded and mildly aged cheese, the kind with mold in it.

“Don’t,” Ambrose said automatically, and lowered her head, shaking it gently. “Later. Don’t just say things, Wither, where everyone can hear you.”

“I, uh - it’s fine, I won’t say anything if it’s all, um, okay with you guys,” Bhyram said. “I mean, between you guys.”

“I know, Bhy. I promise I will tell you everything, just not, um… out here.”

The rest of the dragons filed in - the little mirror with the shiny trident, trailing the smell of catalpa blossoms and fish-food, and of course that metal coatl just reeking of oil and residual sunshine (he seemed very cheerful, already pulling out a book and quill as he hurried after the others who’d gone in search of tea), and the sea salt and pine incense skydancer with the cat, with blood-scented Ainissesthai perched on her shoulders, and the big ridgeback with all the little spikes; she smelled like tar, and hot sand - new glass. She was the last in, throwing a glance over her shoulder to the road behind. Nobody else was out there.

“Close the gate,” Bhyram called back, to the dragons on top of the wall began to haul the gates shut again.

“You missed a bit of a ruckus while you were gone,” Cairngorm said to Ambrose, while they all made their way towards the inn.

“What kind of ruckus?”

“The longneck kind.”

The low-tide ridgeback snorted. “We had our own,” she muttered. “Trust us, we had plenty of longneck trouble.”

“Hopefully nothing too bad?”

“We handled it.” The ridgeback glanced over. “It was less of a mess than the trip.”

“Everything was eventually fine,” Ambrose said, carefully.

“Sounds like it went worse than ours,” Cairngorm said, shaking his feathers out. “Probably because you didn’t have Bhyram with you.”

“S - uh, what?” Bhyram said, stumbling as he walked. He glanced over his shoulder, mildly alarmed. “I, uh…”

“Do tell,” Ambrose said.

“He cut off an internal incursion from the well,” Cairngorm said, nodding. “Without him, we would’ve been overrun by overeager beastclans with spears! We have him to thank for the walls as well. He’s been working round-the-clock to make Greenstone safer. Excellent work, yes.”

Bhyram dipped his head. “It’s not - um,” he said, and trailed off.

“Definitely the right person to stay here, then,” Ambrose said, with a nod.

“Hey, that was, wasn’t - I mean - “

“Don’t be humble,” Cairngorm scolded, dipping his head. He looked over to the rest of the group. “He tried to escape his own party yesterday. The dragons made a cake for him. Thanks to his defenses, and his quick action, nobody even got hurt and there was only a bit of fire on the wall. Nothing that couldn’t be fixed within the same day - no, within just a few hours.”

“It seems we’re not the only ones with an interesting story to tell,” Ambrose said, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s not that exciting,” Bhyram said. “Really, it’s nothing… I didn’t do anything special. I just, um, I just, uh… I - you know.”

“Tell that to the dragons who live near the well,” Cairngorm retorted. “You saved them quite a bit of trouble and danger.”

“I…”

“Oh, here’s the inn! I’m sure Ember is awaiting you.” Cairngorm swept in a circle and bowed to them. “If you don’t mind, I will be off back to my temporary home. Come find me to tell the tale of your journeys.”

“...okay, bye,” Bhyram managed, as Cairngorm turned again and trotted away, tail whisking back and forth across the cobblestones.

“Come on, Bhy,” Ambrose said, as a couple of the other dragons - with the sprite - headed into the building. “You did just as much as any of us to help this reunion happen. Come, help us heal her.”

“I didn’t even do anything,” he replied, softly.

“Not with us,” the bogsneak chimed in, as she hurried by. “But you did so much! Even when you were here all alone! You’re very strong and good. Eshkave, wait for me!”

She hurried by, the smell of cookies fading as she trundled into the inn. Bhyram watched her go, then looked back to Ambrose and the ridgeback. He didn’t remember her name. Naught? Note? Rock? That probably wasn’t right. She sat on the ground next to Ambrose, emanating adoration.

“You may not think you did as much as we did, out there tracking the beastclans down so we could bring Eshkave back to Greenstone,” Ambrose said, “but you made sure there was still a Greenstone here to come  _ back _ to. And I think that’s worth quite a bit.”

_ You make it sound so dire. It really wasn’t all that dangerous. Or hard. Or… anything. _ Bhyram, embarrassed, sat down on the ground and washed one paw, scrubbing it over his ear.

“He’s embarrassed,” Ambrose said, to the ridgeback.

“I would be too if you said shit like that to me,” the ridgeback replied.

“Healing time,” sang the sea-salt-and-pine skydancer, drifting by. “Let us go on inside, everyone, there will be other occasions for small talk.”

“Right.” Ambrose turned and headed up the stairs. “We’ll be beginning that now. I doubt Eshkave wants to wait more than absolutely necessary.”

“Can’t fit all the dragons in the same little room,” the ridgeback said. “I’ll wait out here.”

_ That’s an option? _ “I will also,” Bhyram said, and scooted backwards, away from the stairs.

Ambrose entered the inn. The ridgeback seemed mildly perturbed by Bhyram’s presence, so he didn’t say anything. He closed his eyes and sat in the sunlight.

It was only a few minutes, really, before he heard a commotion inside. He was on his feet in seconds, but (blood, vinegar, that was Ainissesthai) Ainissesthai darted out and landed on the railing of the inn, not moving any further, so he guessed it was likely not a dangerous situation.

There was a bump against the front doors, and then they opened and dragon stumbled out onto the front porch of the inn, squinting against the light. She was still wrapped in bandages. Two dragons - the dark wood gaoler and the sand and tar ridgeback - supported her on both sides. The sprite was perched on her shoulders, humming to herself. Dark feathers swept over the dragon’s wings, bright orange sails and scales underneath gleamed in the sun. She smelled like the smoke of a lit match, the poison of coal dust blown into the air, the rich dry heat of burning wood… embers.

“Ember,” Bhyram said, standing.

“Hey,” she said. “Hey, Bhyram. I’m back.”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “You are.”

“Thanks for holding down the fort while I was gone.” Ember sighed, glancing around, and tried to shake her feathers out. She grunted in pain and stopped. “Looks like I had some trouble with the mission after all.”

“Sure - sure did,” Bhyram said, hesitantly.

Ember grinned at him. “Lucky for Greenstone, you guys were still here to keep it safe.”

“Just Bhyram,” Ambrose said, with a shrug. “We went off looking for your sprite and left him here to do all the hard work.”

“Aw, you’re the real hero,” Ember said casually.

“Not really, I -”

“Shhh,” Ember said. “Shhhhhhh.”

“What -”

“Shhhhhhhhhhh.”

Baffled, Bhyram backed up and sat down. Ember moved forward very slowly, step by step, until she could sit down at the top of the stairs, reach out with one hand, and gently poke him on the nose.

“You’re a hero, Bhy,” she said. “Enjoy it.”

He didn’t answer, too busy trying to find the words to answer with.   
“Now,” Ember said, straightening up, “Somebody find SPICYLAD for me. I need some gods-damned  _ food. _ ”


End file.
